Chapter 288

Evaline:
River never came back to the office that morning.
Not once.
And yet, he never really left me either. His scent clung stubbornly to my skin, burning with every breath I took. My neck still tingled where his lips had pressed, and I found myself absentmindedly brushing at the spot as if I could erase it.
Except I couldn’t.
For the next couple of hours, I barely survived. Every passing second felt like a battle to pretend nothing had happened. Papers blurred before my eyes, words on the screen made no sense, and every time I walked out of the office and met someone, I felt like they might look at me and know.
It was maddening. Latest content publıshed on.net
By the time noon finally arrived, I let out the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. Freedom. At least for the rest of the day.
I gathered my things quickly, tugged on my coat, and headed downstairs. As I stepped out of the building and made my way to the parking lot, I spotted a familiar black car. Sleek, polished, perfectly noticeable.
It was Oscar’s car.
My steps faltered and my chest tightened a little, before I forced myself to keep walking. I could do this. I could act normal.
Reaching the passenger side, I tugged the door open and climbed in without a word.
Oscar turned his head toward me, clearly ready to greet me… but the moment his sharp senses caught River’s scent on me, his expression froze. Whatever words he was about to say died in his throat.
His face was unreadable, but his jaw tightened, and his nostrils flared ever so slightly as he inhaled again, confirming what had stunned him in the first place.
I, of course, pretended to be perfectly normal.
Fixing my hair in the reflection of the side mirror. Smoothing down my coat. Pulling my phone from my bag as if I had the busiest schedule in the world.
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, until he finally found his voice.
“You are covered in His voice was low, rough, but he didn’t finish.
I didn’t give him the chance.
“River,” I supplied bluntly, speaking his name as casually as if we were discussing the weather.
Oscar’s head snapped toward me fully this time, his deep green eyes widening just a fraction. My confirmation only seemed to confuse him more. His lips parted but no words came out for a long beat.
Finally, he managed, “How… how did he end up marking you with his scent? You and River aren’t close enough for-”
“He offered me bonus.”
I cut him off without hesitation, my tone almost too matter-of-fact.
The way Oscar’s face froze again, you would think I had just told him I agreed to sell my soul.
The silence that followed was deafening. His throat worked as he struggled to process my confession.
Just like River had predicted, Oscar clearly hadn’t expected to smell his brother’s scent on me. And what he expected even less was to hear me say that I let it happen… for money.
When he finally spoke again, his voice was tight, heavy with disbelief.
“The bonus was that tempting?”
I turned then, finally giving him my full attention. Meeting his gaze, I didn’t flinch.
“Yes.”
His eyes widened slightly at my bluntness, but I didn’t let him interrupt.
“The offer was beyond tempting. And money wasn’t the only reason.”
I lifted my hand and began pointing with my fingers, one by one.
“First, River is handsome.”
His jaw flexed.
“Second, he’s attractive.”
I noticed as his grip on the steering wheel grew visibly tighter.
“Third, he’s my mate… despite all our differences.”
I ticked the third finger, my voice sharper now.
“And fourth… he was honest with me. He told me exactly what he wanted, exactly what the marking would mean. He didn’t go behind my back to use me as some tool to tease his brothers.”
My eyes narrowed deliberately, locking on his, sharp as a blade. And the unspoken accusation hung in the air, heavy and clear.
Then, without giving him time to react, I leaned over and plucked his phone from the console where it rested. My thumb brushed the screen, and I saw the active call.
My brows arched.
“Well, isn’t this interesting,” I muttered.
Oscar followed my gaze and his expression made me realize that he had completely forgotten.
He was on call with Draven.
Oh, this was perfect.
I pressed the button to switch it to speaker, setting the phone down between us. Then, leaning closer, my voice dripping with false sweetness, I asked into the open line, “Tell me, Draven. Am I right?”
The car filled with silence again. A different kind this time – heavy, loaded, dangerous.
Oscar’s jaw was locked, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths as he kept his eyes straight ahead.
I, on the other hand, smirked faintly, though inside my pulse was thundering at the thought of what Draven might say.
And Draven… oh, he didn’t stay silent for long.
His voice came soft as a whisper, filled with guilt. “I’m sorry, love. It was my idea… marking you with our scents to get under River’s skin. But we never meant to put you in a hard spot.”
Oscar quickly nodded his head, reaching out to hold my hand… and I didn’t pull away. Yes, I was mad at them for what they had done, but not to the point where I would try to push them away.
“Little mate, forgive us this time. It won’t happen again… not without your knowledge.”
I shook my head and let out a small sigh, relaxing in my seat and reaching for my seat belt. “Well… I might forgive you if you kept that promise if giving me massage-”
Before I could have finished, Oscar was placing a kiss on my knuckles. “Don’t worry. I know how to satisfy you.”
My cheeks started burning, and then I heard Draven speaking from other side of the call.
“You have already experienced our services. You can have high expectations.”
Oh Moon Goddess… did I just push myself into a trap?